14.11.2002
Welsh Socialist Alliance door open
Last month we reported the decision of the Socialist Party to leave the WSA (Weekly Worker October 24). This is the WSA reply, sent to Alec Thraves of the SP Wales
Dear Alec The greater the unity on the left, the greater the opportunity to build an effective socialist challenge to New Labour, and to build a political home for those disgusted by New Labour's love-affair with privatisation, its scapegoating of asylum-seekers and its cynical war-mongering. For this reason we regret the decision of the Socialist Party to abandon the Welsh Socialist Alliance. The sticking point was that your comrades felt it necessary to stand assembly candidates as SP candidates. Everyone else in the WSA holds a different position. We believe it is essential to stand as WSA candidates, if the Socialist Alliance project is to take on a life of its own. There was, therefore, a serious political divergence of opinion between the SP and the rest of the WSA. We could all live with this situation, but only until elections came along. At that stage the membership would have to decide: an election in which all candidates stood as WSA candidates, with a WSA campaign team, WSA policies and a WSA manifesto? Or a number of separate organisations conducting their own campaigns under the name of the WSA, effectively excluding the growing number of non-aligned supporters? And that's exactly what happened. The members made their decision. Unfortunately, when splits occur, they are often attended by acrimony, as political differences are subsumed by personal feelings. Past debates, sometimes distorted, are dredged up to 'justify' one position or another. There appear to be a number of such instances in your letter. So, again with regret, we address the complaints that you itemise. On September 11 your own branch (Swansea) passed a resolution, (with one abstention), committing the branch to contesting Swansea East and Swansea West constituencies and to inviting nominations at the specially convened selection meeting on October 9. The resolution explicitly quoted the WSA constitution: "No candidate should stand for election in the name of the Welsh Socialist Alliance unless approved by the WSA branch, which finances the campaign locally." All members were circulated, and the meeting duly selected two candidates. In your letter you refer to these events as "manoeuvres" to prevent an SP comrade being selected. In fact it was a clear example of inclusive democratic debate, and decision-making by the grassroots membership. You reckon that "similar efforts" were made in Cardiff. For the record, Andy Price (Cardiff area chair) and Katrine Williams (national vice-chair), argued for a Cardiff area meeting to be convened to discuss our intervention in the Welsh assembly elections. (both comrades are SP members). The meeting took place on October 8. Most comrades present, including all the SP members, agreed that only the WSA branches themselves should determine who their candidates would be, as enshrined in the WSA constitution - a constitution written by a leading member of the Socialist Party. There was one paradox, however. SP comrades also announced at the meeting that they had already selected Dave B as their candidate for Cardiff South! Selection meetings were then convened in Cardiff South (October 29) and Cardiff Central (November 6), long after the SP had withdrawn from the WSA. It is difficult to see where "manoeuvres" might have occurred. Although it was made plain that SP comrades would have welcomed private discussions with the SWP in order to 'divvy up' the seats in Cardiff prior to the selection meetings. Might not many non-aligned comrades have regarded such wheeling and dealing as "manoeuvres"? In our view the decision to launch a monthly newspaper was a bold one, but proved in practice to be over-ambitious, Within a few months all but two of the editorial group, citing various reasons, had resigned. So the Welsh Socialist Voice, at least temporarily, was grounded. On the other hand, the highly successful WSA day school took place at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, on May 26. Everyone present enjoyed it hugely. It was organised by a committee of six comrades (three non-aligned, one SP member, one CPGB member and one SWP member). Our concern was to invite speakers who would inspire a vigorous and lively debate, regardless of which fragment of the left they came from. One of the first speakers to be invited was you, Alec. You declined because of a previous engagement. A well known member of Workers Power declined to speak for similar reasons. The majority of speakers on the day were non-aligned (Liz, Charlie, Gideon). And they were excellent. The exception was in the final, extended session on the national question, with four speakers (including one from the SP and one from Cymru Goch). If the day school had not been a success, the organising committee ought perhaps to accept the responsibility. In the event, the six comrades are to congratulated on an event which may well prove to be a recurring feature of life on the left in Wales. You end your letter by saying we can only work together if we have "an open, flexible and democratic approach." We in the WSA heartily agree. And we hope to welcome the SP back into a united socialist organisation in the future. The door will always be open. Fraternally, Charlie Balch (chair) Julian Goss (secretary) Raja Gul Raiz (vice-chair) November 7 2002
Worker